Gravity actuated dirigible headlight



y 1948- w. LE CLAIR 2,445,835

GRAVITY ACTUATED D IRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT Filed Sept. 20, 1946- Inventor walla; [e Clad);

Q By WWI/way E M 0 Patented July 27, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRAVITY ACTUATED DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a gravity actuated dirigible headlight and has for its primary object automatically to redirect the light beam from the headlight as a vehicle negotiates a banked curve.

Another object is to convert vehicles equipped with headlights of the ordinar character into vehicles equipped with automatically directed headlights at a minimum of labor and expense.

The above and other objects may be obtained by employing this invention which embodies among its features a base plate adapted to be attached to the forward end of a vehicle, a weight pivotally supported to swing about a horizontal axis on the base plate, which axis lies parallel with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, a lamp bracket pivotally supported on the weight to swing about an axis perpendicular to the horizontal axis, a headlamp fixed to the bracket on one side of the perpendicular axis, a pair of spaced parallel arms on the bracket on the opposite side of the perpendicular axis and a fixed pin carried by the base plate and extending between the arms whereby when the weight swings about the horizontal axis the headlight will be rotated about the perpendicular axis.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a portion of a locomotive equipped with a headlight embodying the features of this invention,

Figure 2 is a side view of the headlight and headlight mounting,

Figure 3 is a front view of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the me 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail a base plate In is adapted to be attached to the forward end of a vehicle, and extending forwardly from the base plate in parallel relation to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, is a horizontally disposed shaft H supporting adjacent its forward end a collar l2. This collar 12 is mounted on the shaft l I to rotate about the horizontal axis thereof and carries a depending arm 13 supporting at its lower end a weight M. The axis of the arm I3 extends perpendicular to the axis of the shaft ll so that as the vehicle to which the device is attached negotiates a banked curve the weight will swing about the axis of the shaft ll.

Mounted on the arm l3 immediately above the weight 14 is a spacer I supporting at its upper end for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the arm l3 and collar 16. Extending forwardly from the collar I6 is a lamp bracket I1 to which a conventional headlamp I8 is attached in any desired manner. Secured to the collar [6 diametrically opposite the bracket I1 is a cross arm I9 supporting adjacent opposite ends a pair of spaced parallel rearwardly extending arms 20 forming a guide way 2| through which a pin 22 extends. This pin 22 is fixed to the base plate [0 and extends radially with relation thereto along an axis perpendicular to the axis of the shaft II. The in 22 extends along a vertical axis when the vehicle is in normal horizontal position, but when the vehicle tilts to one side or the other as when negotiating a banked curve the pin 22 tilts with it so that the weight M will move, thus causing the collar Hi to move in a limited orbital path and at the same time rotate about the axis of the arm l3 thus altering the position of the headlamp l8 and causing the beam thereof to be directed in the direction to be taken by the vehicle. In this way it will be obvious that the headlamp will be automatically regulated by the bank of the roadway.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as my invention is:

A gravity actuated dirigible headlight comprising a base plate adapted to be attached to the forward end of a vehicle, a weight supporting arm mounted on the base plate to swing about a horizontal axis which lies parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the axis of said weight supporting arm lying perpendicular to the horizontal axis, a weight at the lower end of the weight supporting arm, a collar mounted on the weight supporting arm to rotate about its longitudinal axis, a lamp bracket extending radially from the collar, a lamp fixed to the bracket, a pair of spaced parallel arms extending radially from the collar diametrically opposite the lamp bracket and a pin fixed to the base plate and extending between the spaced parallel arms whereby when the weight moves to one or the other side of the pin the collar will rotate and move the headlight.

WILLIAM LE CLAIR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 1

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date McNee June 3, 1930 

